Many Canadian Idol fans are still recovering from the shock of Mookie Morris being eliminated from the competition last week. I caught up with Mookie and the result is exactly what you would expect. Unbelievable awesomeness. The interview was incredibly fun and I know you will laugh out loud just like I did when I talked to Idol’s fifth place finisher.
Murtz Jaffer: Hey Mookie, it’s Murtz. How are you?
Mookie Morris: I am good man. How are you?
MJ: I am good, are you ready to get started?
MM: Sure.
MJ: What happened? I think many people expected you to win.
MM: I am not sure (pauses). I think most of the… I really don’t have any explanation but I feel like most of the people who were supporting me up to this point probably ideally see me as something else other than the prototypical Canadian Idol maybe. Maybe they just didn’t think it was right for me. I am not sure.
MJ: Were you surprised at all (when you heard the result)?
MM: Yeah, I mean… I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was surprised that people were surprised. I don’t know.
MJ: Ontario and Toronto in particular has been criticized for not voting well in the past. Do you think that if you were from anywhere else in Canada you would have gone deeper into the competition?
MM: I don’t think so. I mean, I guess I don’t really know. I think maybe I could have gotten through without being bottom three or something like that but for the most part, I think it’s just about everyone voting from all over.
MJ: You had a pretty big group of friends and family come to the live show (obviously because you are from Toronto). What was that like? It always seemed like the John Bassett theatre was loudest for Mookie.
MM: (Laughs). Yeah. I think my family definitely has a huge social network throughout the city. They did a lot of work to get people to vote. Even coming to the shows. That’s pretty crazy too. Lot of supporters showing up.
MJ: One of the things that I wanted to ask you about, is that when you are sitting in the theatre… a lot of people are like “MOOOOOKIE…” and you can hear. It’s a very distinct chant. I don’t know. To me, it sometimes sounds like people are booing. Is it ever that way for you?
MM: Yeah, I think when I think that they sound like ‘boo’s,’ it may humble me a bit and make me appreciate it more!
MJ: You brought a different style to the competition and one that hasn’t really been seen before on Idol. Do you worry about your mainstream rock credibility after doing a show like this?
MM: I don’t think so. I hope that most people can see that Canadian Idol is just a really good thing. It serves a purpose for musicians that want to get into the business. It’s a great launch pad for anyone who wants to do it and it teaches you a lot. It helps anyone who tries to do it. I just hope that sensible people can see past what Canadian Idol’s stereotype is. I guess I had to do something to get myself out there.
MJ: Why do you think so many girls were eliminated so early this season?
MM: Those cougars, they like their boys I guess.
MJ: (Laughs) I guess that’s my question. Do you think it’s a disadvantage to be up against so many other guys because aren’t you splitting the vote? All the girls generally vote for the guys right but this year when it’s all guys, who are the girls going to vote for?
MM: I agree. I think it made things very competitive with the ladies out there. I think there’s just maybe a larger pool of talent within the guys or something. I am not sure.
MJ: When you perform, you always had this crazy sort of stage show. I remember when you did the James Brown and then you had the turntables for another performance. Where did you come up with all these crazy ideas because I haven’t seen it at all in any of the previous Idol seasons.
MM: I don’t know. I think I am just creative in general. Just all these weird ideas. I really just wanted to make the most out of every second I had on the stage. And just tried to get a bit extreme with things. Tried to get a little crazy. I tried to do things on the show that I would do at any of my shows.
MJ: Was CTV down with all these ideas that you had because a lot of people don’t know how much involvement you can have. Was there ever a time where you were like ‘I want to do this, this and this…’ and they were like ‘no Mookie, you can’t do that?’
MM: There were definitely things that I had in mind that got shut down.
MJ: Give me one example.
MM: I can give you one example. I wanted to get a coffin and come out of a coffin during rock and roll heaven week.
MJ: (Laughs)
MM: (Laughs). And they had a coffin there, but there was a big divide about whether it was morally wrong or not.
MJ: What do you mean they had a coffin there? They had a coffin on stage?
MM: They got me a coffin and I was going to burst out of it at the beginning of “I Feel Good.”
MJ: (Laughs)
MM: James Brown, I don’t think he had even been buried yet and there was just this whole fiasco about it being disrespectful and I kind of came around and agreed that it might be a bit distasteful.
MJ: That show was actually very funny for me when Ben made that joke about the group performance being a “dead-ley” (instead of medley).
MM: Yeah, I know! He was taking it kind of far, eh?
MJ: I thought we were in Canada, I thought we were supposed to be the nice people!
MM: You know, when I tossed my sunglasses in that song, I hit his mom eh? (Laughs).
MJ: (Laughs). Did she say anything to you?
MM: No, he said that she didn’t really mind but I felt bad that out of all the people in that theatre, to hit her… I felt pretty bad about it.
MJ: Yeah, it’s okay if you hit the 400-pounder in the first row but when you hit Ben’s mom…
MM: (Laughs).
MJ: Here’s the question that I think everybody wants to know the answer to. You broke your guitar last night in true rock star fashion, I want to know whose guitar it was and if you got in trouble (if it wasn’t yours)?
MM: It was unfortunately, mine. Yeah, I am an idiot pretty much. It was just an impulsive thing to do. It was in the moment and I didn’t really care.
MJ: Is it broken or is it still usable?
MM: Yeah, it’s broken.
MJ: Jake said to give him a call next week if you were eliminated. Do you plan to?
MM: Yeah, I think I’ll take him up on that. Any advice that someone like him has for me is good to me. I think I could use anything he has to say.
MJ: I asked Amberly this last week, and I didn’t expect her to give me an answer and I don’t expect you to give me an answer but I am going to ask you anyway. Now that you’re gone, we have four left. Who do you think is going to win and who is going to be in the final two?
MM: My boy Earl.
MJ: Wow, okay.
MM: And I think Theo… or Mitch.
MJ: What do you think it is about Earl? He has a very distinct look. I have never seen anyone like him. I have never seen anyone like you on Idol before…
MM: I think straight-up, Earl is just a really original guy.
MJ: Were you the closest to him?
MM: Yeah, for sure.
MJ: What’s next for you?
MM: Just trying to do my own thing. Write. Be creative. Be spontaneous. Have fun and try to take advantage of this whole crazy experience.
MJ: Would you say that you were the coolest contestant to ever be on Canadian Idol?
MM: No. I have no say in that.
MJ: Who is the coolest (if not you)?
MM: In my eyes, I think Earl.
MJ: I knew you were going to say that! That’s awesome. Thank you so much.
MM: Thanks a lot buddy.
MJ: Was this the greatest interview you have ever done?
MM: It’s up there for sure.
